The Alameda County District Attorney has offered to drop charges against the 78 pro-Palestinian activists who occupied UC Berkeley’s Wheeler Hall April 9, the Planet has learned. -more-
To the Editor: -more-
LOS ANGELES – This might be a tough encore for the Los Angeles Lakers. -more-
Several gun shots were fired at the driver of a car parked on the 1500 block of Alcatraz Avenue early Sunday morning, according to the Berkeley Police Department. -more-
To the Editor: -more-
His body looks sculpted by Praxiteles, his thick blond hair is youthfully tousled, and he commands the stage like a star. -more-
SAN DIEGO – Marvin Benard had his first three-hit game of the season, including a three-run homer, then caught nothing but grief from teammate Shawon Dunston. -more-
OAKLAND–Freddy Garcia’s patience is being tested this season. -more-
BERKELEY–The University of California temporarily is suspending its fall 2002 study abroad program in India, citing the military buildup and the threat of war with Pakistan. -more-
East Bay resident Anne Finger has had a hard time buying personal hygiene products at her local drugstore lately, and blames plastic blue storage bins that are stacked in the aisles, keeping her from reaching the retail shelves. -more-
Thousands of low-income Berkeley residents eligible for a 40 percent reduction in their electricity bills may not be taking advantage of the opportunity. -more-
Plans for deeming the corner of San Pablo and University Avenues as an International Marketplace may soon become a reality. -more-
SEATTLE – A consumer-rights lawyer is seeking $1 billion in damages from some of the nation’s largest power companies, claiming they made billions from artificially created power shortages during last year’s power crunch. -more-
SACRAMENTO – A herd of 3,000 dairy cattle in Tulare County has been quarantined and 56 cows have been killed after a federal meat inspector found traces of bovine tuberculosis. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Napster Inc.’s bankruptcy filing Monday won’t alter rulings by a judge and a federal appeals court that the Internet song-swapping service unlawfully violated the music industry’s copyrights. -more-
DALLAS – Phone company SBC Communications Inc. and online giant Yahoo! Inc. have teamed up to launch an Internet service they hope will challenge AOL and Microsoft for dominance of the dial-up market. -more-
BEVERLY HILLS – Winona Ryder’s preliminary hearing on shoplifting and drug charges was interrupted Monday when a television camera bumped her on the way into court, and her attorney reported later that she suffered a broken right arm. -more-
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK – An injured rock climber was rescued by helicopter Monday after spending a night on a sheer granite wall. -more-
“The course of true love never did run smooth,” Lysander famously notes in Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. -more-
The No. 1 Cal men’s varsity eight won its fourth-consecutive Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championship on the Cooper River in Cherry Hill, NJ, June 31. The winning time of 5:26.81 was just 3 seconds off the course record set by the Bears in 1999. In addition to the varsity eights success, the JV eight also brought home gold for the second consecutive year. For the record, it was coach Steve Gladstone’s 10th Varsity Challenge Cup title-second only to Charles “Pop” Courtney who won 11 titles between 1901-1915. -more-
Just two blocks from the Fourth Street retail promenade, the operators of Berkeley’s newest monthly market have aspirations of doing more than just giving a space for local craftspeople to sell their goods. -more-
Whether you are a seasoned veteran of the pre-Classical music scene or a curious newcomer, this week’s Berkeley Festival and Exhibition provides a wide range of opportunities to binge in gluttonous aural indulgence, or sample a new but ancient part of the musical palette. -more-
Welch second in triple jump -more-
With the fifth annual Berkeley Arts Festival just around the corner now, festival organizers have begun raising money to create the best possible event in a city they contend is letting its vibrant art scene slowly slip away. -more-
To the Editor: -more-
YOKOHAMA, Japan – Spain finally figured out how to start a World Cup with a victory. England still doesn’t know how to beat Sweden anywhere. -more-
Julia Parker sometimes dreams of baskets. After 40 years of weaving baskets and serving as a cultural interpreter with the Indian Cultural Program at Yosemite National Park, Parker, a Kashaya Pomo, hopes others will continue to share her dreams. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — At least 100 people were left homeless early Sunday after a fire ripped through a residential hotel. -more-
OJAI — A 700-acre wildfire burned out of control Sunday along the steep, brush-covered hillsides of Los Padres National Forest, destroying an abandoned building and prompting the evacuation of two campgrounds. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – The dot-com boom may be bust, but multimedia art still thrives on the Internet, where audiences hungry for authentic, uncensored creative content are clicking through “webisodes” in droves. -more-
STINSON BEACH – The surfer who was attacked by a shark at Stinson Beach was recovering over the weekend and talking about the toothy beast that nearly took him down for good. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – Organizers of the California AIDS Ride said Saturday that a competing ride and a lawsuit claiming the event doesn’t give enough of its proceeds to research have cut by half the number of participants in this year’s trek. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – The Ravenswood school district is under fire from the state for its failure to improve its special education and the unethical behavior of some of its administrators. -more-
SACRAMENTO – It was nearly 40 years ago that California set a national trend by creating a comprehensive Master Plan for Higher Education, a blueprint for the state’s public universities and community colleges. -more-
SACRAMENTO – A four-member disabled climbing team made history early Saturday, becoming the first paraplegic climbers to reach the 14,162-foot summit of northern California’s Mt. Shasta. -more-
Animal implanted with cloned cells hasn’t rejected new tissue; process could make organ transplants much easier -more-
xLOS ANGELES – A lawmaker planned to unveil a bill Monday that would raise California’s smoking age from 18 to 21, making it the highest in the nation. -more-
Educators, administrators weigh demise of teacher’s textbook bill -more-
What would become Berkeley, was once a rural unincorporated part of the Oakland Township. It was sparely populated and mostly used for farming. The photograph shows grassy hillsides and scattered native oaks. The highest spot is Grizzly Peak, which was made level for communication towers. The Eucalyptus trees have not yet been planted. -more-
To the Editor: -more-
Continuing this season’s focus on women, the Berkeley Opera presented Vivian Fine’s 1978 chamber opera “The Women in the Garden” last weekend. -more-
Locals hoping to end SoCal dominance of big event -more-
Judge considers lifting
gag order off federal jury
-more-
The picture postcard became extremely popular during the first two decades of the 20th century and this era is often referred to as the “golden age of postcards.” Most postcards were published by companies that specialized in the printing of postcards and would usually depicted popular views of a town or important buildings. But during this period people also created their own postcards from a photograph of their home. -more-
Both theaters to show
special features to mark the events
-more-
Dynasty Basketball helps
get players into the community
-more-
Soon, Berkeley’s political culture will be immortalized. -more-
To the Editor: -more-
There is a moment in the new documentary “The Cockettes” when co-director Bill Weber edited a montage sequence of several former members of the legendary drag theatrical troupe remembering when their first show took place. Some are certain it was on Halloween. Others are absolutely sure it was on New Year’s Eve. The jovial moment of memory discrepancy laughs at a central question posed to the craft of historical documentary: if all the participants were too stoned to remember, do details matter? -more-
YOKOHAMA, Japan – Africans again opened a World Cup with a monumental upset. -more-
Program for underprivileged
kids may now be in jeopardy
-more-
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Most of them were born a decade or two after Elvis Presley died. But the kids watching Disney’s new “Lilo & Stitch” at a screening in Memphis got a chuckle when the small blue space alien Stitch did an Elvis impersonation in a white jumpsuit. -more-
Olivier moving on
to Hercules High
-more-
For Don Donahue, leaving the “Warehouse” at 2750 Adeline Street, a south Berkeley artist’s cooperative, would be a challenge. If an eviction dispute is not resolved, Donahue faces the task of moving an immense collection of art and more than 26 years worth of underground comic books. -more-
Today the county Board of Supervisors takes on the Isla Vista party scene. The board will consider giving law enforcement more powers to break up social gatherings and cite party-goers for unruly behavior. Isla Vista’s rowdiness could stand to be taken down a few notches. Officers documented 2,900 alcohol-related crimes in I.V. in 2001. -more-
xYou may expect that a new book called “Chez Panisse Fruit” by Alice Waters, the world-famous chef and owner of Berkeley's own Chez Panisse restaurant, is all about fruit. Well, you'd be half-right. Waters will be the first to tell you that it's really about “how to think about food put in the context of fruit.” -more-
BRIDGEPORT– A member of the San Jose State University men’s basketball team was found dead at the bottom of a waterfall near Mammoth Lakes, the victim of an apparent accidental death according to investigators. -more-
Victim was apparently,
‘in the wrong place at the
wrong time’ police said
-more-
NEW YORK – The two surviving members of The Who decided Friday to resume their scheduled three-month U.S. tour despite the sudden death of bassist John Entwistle, their bandmate of nearly four decades. -more-
YOKOHAMA, Japan – What a time and place for the first World Cup meeting between Brazil and Germany — in the final, for the trophy, with all the world watching. -more-
Berkeley’s city government is about to get a breath of fresh air with the appointment of three students to the energy, labor, and human welfare commissions. Councilmember Chris Worthington, who selected the students, said plenty of seats are still available for qualified applicants. Worthington’s District 7 is teeming with a resource outside the jurisdiction of other councilmembers’—the UC Berkeley campus, a veritable hive of young men and women looking to make a difference in their immediate and global community. Worthington said that though some of his recent appointees lack experience, their enthusiasm and intelligence qualify them for the job. -more-
Nutrition activist Joy Moore made it official this week: She will not run for the Board of Education. -more-
LOS ANGELES – Two University of California students deported from Israel after trying to provide humanitarian aid to armed Palestinians during a church standoff in Bethlehem said they were only trying to protect them from injury or arrest. -more-
Convicted murderer chooses big house over home -more-
For 22 years Jack Ball held class at Martin Luther King Middle School in Berkeley from a bicycle seat. His students rave about how the physical education teacher would take them on bicycle rides to such exciting destinations as Tilden Park, the Berkeley Marina, Point Isabella or Emeryville Market. -more-
AC Transit revamps its
fares
-more-
LOS ANGELES – A new study shows that the production of theatrical films continues to leave the country at an alarming pace. -more-
On Tuesday, the City Council approved a $552,000 facelift for Berkeley’s Live Oak Park and Recreation Center. -more-
NEW IBERIA, La. — Four people were slightly injured Friday when an Amtrak train heading to Los Angeles ran into a truck that was stuck on railroad tracks in rural Iberia Parish. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A federal judge ruled on Friday to stop the implementation of a law that would have required the nation’s biggest bankers to include credit card “warnings” in monthly customer statements. -more-
Do we have any Mars rocks on Earth? Perhaps. No spacecraft has brought back rock samples from Mars like the ones astronauts brought back from the Moon. But some Mars rocks might have made their way to Earth on their own. Scientists have found about a dozen rocks on Earth that might be meteorites from Mars. These are pieces of the planet that were chipped off by a collision with a space rock long ago. The rocks match samples of Martian soil analyzed by the Viking landers. Some scientists think that one such meteorite, found in Antarctica, might even contain fossils of tiny organisms called bacteria — but, as often happens, other scientists disagree. -more-
SAN JOSE — Twice within the last two years, Apple Computer Inc. executives sold company stock worth millions of dollars just weeks before Apple warned of disappointing financial results. Each earnings warning sent shares tumbling. -more-
Parents, lock up the children. Retailers, check those IDs. Perhaps the most politically incorrect video game ever created is for sale this minute, threatening the very foundations of our Republic. -more-
SPRINGVILLE, Utah — Nature’s Way Products is recalling four lots of an herbal allergy-relief dietary supplement, saying Friday that excessive amounts of lead were found in the product. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A former technology aide to Gov. Gray Davis has admitted that he brought up the subject of campaign contributions with a salesman for a Silicon Valley company seeking a state contract. -more-
Baby Boomers aren’t getting any younger, and neither are their parents. -more-
xSAN FRANCISCO — GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon’s investment firm drew an above-average commission for overseeing the assets of his family’s nonprofit foundation, a newspaper reported Friday. -more-
Functional rooms like kitchens and baths typically are fitted with wall-hung cupboards and storage areas. -more-
UNITED NATIONS — In a big boost to the global fight against climate change, the 15 nations in the European Union formally ratified the Kyoto Protocol on Friday and urged the United States to end its opposition to the treaty. -more-
Most people envision waterlilies daubed on large canvases when they think of the artist Monet’s flowers. Nasturtiums are another possibility, for Monet planted them in abundance. They spilled out of beds into paths, frothing like ocean water on a beach to soften his garden’s edges. -more-
NEW DELHI, India — India’s defense minister insisted Friday the border with Pakistan was stable, even as Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz warned that a war between the South Asian rivals would be “somewhere between terrible and catastrophic.” -more-
Pet stains not only are unsightly, but also often result in less-than-pleasant odors. A simple and effective way to get a pet stain out is to use a solution of 2 tablespoons of Spic-n-Span in 1 gallon of warm water — working the solution into the area with a cloth or sponge. Next, rinse the area with 1-half cup of white vinegar in 1 gallon of warm water. This will help to neutralize the detergent and prevent it from attracting dirt. Finally, blot the area with a dry towel to remove any excess dampness. Hard-hit areas might require professional steam-cleaning, replacement of the pad below, or even a bleaching of the concrete or wood substrate to kill the odor-causing bacteria. -more-
LONG BEACH – Police struggled Friday to find the motive for a deadly shooting rampage in a neighborhood market by a gunman who was found to have the skeletal remains of two people in his home. -more-
Emmie Vida, an active leader in the Berkeley Jewish community died Monday of natural causes at the age of 93. Vida, who along with her husband Rabbi George Vida and their two children fled Czechoslovakia during the Nazi occupation of World War II, dedicated much of her life to helping and sharing history with others. -more-
Asked state energy traders to buy unnecessary power at above-market rates -more-
SACRAMENTO — A federal judge Friday temporarily blocked the implementation of a law that would require the nation’s biggest bankers to include credit card payment “warnings” in monthly customer statements. -more-
Adults want to see patriotic themes, heroism of -more-
FRONTERA — A parole board refused Friday to grant freedom to former Charles Manson follower Leslie Van Houten after an emotional hearing focusing on the cruelty of the cult killings that landed her in prison 33 years ago. -more-
XSAN FRANCISCO – A U.S. Army lieutenant whose jaw is wired shut from a bullet wound he received in Afghanistan said screeners at San Francisco International Airport denied him permission to pass through security with wire clippers used to snap open his jaw in an emergency. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Electricity companies have issued a warning about the upcoming movie “Like Mike” because the plot involves a pair of sneakers a boy retrieves from a power line. -more-
SAN BERNARDINO – A wildfire raced out of control over 1,500 acres in the San Bernardino National Forest just north of the city Friday, destroying a wing of a 1930s-era hotel, authorities said. No injuries were reported. -more-
LOS ANGELES — The state plans to hack $61 million from anti-smoking efforts and the first parts to go will be regional centers set up to work with cities, schools and other groups — a move advocates say can only hurt the children of California. -more-
Contaminated runoff threatens water quality -more-
SACRAMENTO — A Republican senator is hoping the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that school vouchers are constitutional will jump-start a movement to get vouchers passed in California. -more-
xSACRAMENTO – A former technology aide to Gov. Gray Davis has admitted that he brought up the subject of campaign contributions with a salesman for a Silicon Valley company seeking a state contract. -more-
SACRAMENTO — An Assembly committee killed a bill Friday that would have required food processors to disclose levels of artery-clogging trans fatty acids in processed foods. -more-
OAKLAND – An Oakland man appeared in federal court Friday on charges he mailed an envelope containing white powder and a threatening letter to U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft during last year’s anthrax scare. -more-
The assaults were racially -more-
LOS ANGELES — A seventh-grade teacher who suffocated a rabbit triggered a Superior Court lawsuit by a group seeking to force the Los Angeles Unified School District to change its policy on animal experimentation. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO – A federal appeals court on Friday ordered a trial to determine if the California Highway Patrol discriminates against minorities when it comes to promoting officers. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — The glossy passenger train that slid into this city’s Caltrain depot to the fanfare of a brass band Friday can’t hustle as quickly as the bullet trains of Japan and Europe. -more-
SAN DIEGO – She was once a KGB operative, a Russian emigre who seduced an FBI agent into passing a secret document to the Soviet Union. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — A federal appeals court recently reinstated a defamation suit by Suzuki Motor Corp. against the publisher of Consumer Reports. -more-
Under investgation for misconduct -more-
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Across the country, a barely detectable Southern flavor spices local TV weather forecasts, up to a third of which are delivered by former students of Mississippi State University. -more-
National museum honors women who helped tame the Wild West -more-
NEW YORK — The walls of Jonathan Safran Foer’s apartment are covered with everything from a framed piece of blank paper from Susan Sontag to random sketches made by his friends. There is even an enormous canvas of a huge hand that the author himself painted. -more-
CLE ELUM, Wash. – Five Yakima residents have been arrested for investigation of identity theft after a customer tried to open a bank account here using false identification. -more-
NEW YORK — The masterpieces of the Museum of Modern Art are now in Queens. -more-
Special Enforcement Unit makes 20 arrest of alleged drug dealers in west and south Berkeley in one night; Chief says more are soon to follow -more-
To the Editor: -more-
Dee Dee Bridgewater’s world tour comes to Yoshi’s -more-
Seniors looking for final highlights to cap stellar careers -more-
The Berkeley Unified School District still needs to cut $2.5 million to balance next year’s budget, according to new figures released at the Board of Education meeting Wednesday night. -more-
CONCORD — Hot, soulful jazz, pop and funk will heat up the hills of Contra Costa County on June 22, as one the Bay Area’s most prized up and coming vocal artists, Shana Morrison, joins California State University, Hayward’s Concert in the Hills series. -more-
Berkeley High -more-
Remembering a successful foray into labor relations at Berkeley’s Raddison Hotel two years ago, city leaders are now considering using their political clout to sever a dispute between management and employees of the Claremont Resort and Spa, at 41 Tunnel Rd. -more-
Dear Councilman Worthington: -more-
On May 31, 1962, World War II Gestapo official Adolf Eichmann was hanged in Israel for his role in the Nazi Holocaust. -more-
xA new kind of theater that thrusts real life movingly onto the stage will premier in Berkeley for the first time. -more-
WASHINGTON — Plant-eating dinosaurs of different species may have herded together, to escape meat-eaters nearby, according to an analysis of 163 million-year-old dino footprints on a muddy coastal plain in England. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — The California Highway Patrol today was criticized by civil rights groups demanding an investigation into the arrest of an 11-year-old Palestinian girl they allege was “brutally attacked” when an anti-war demonstration on the Golden Gate Bridge soured Saturday. -more-
Data track on European music discs prevents use on PCs, but simple defeat discovered by users -more-
SACRAMENTO – Oracle Corp. is defending its software deals with California and other states after being accused of misleading customers about the costly contracts, a newspaper reported. -more-
PALO ALTO – Still facing hard times, computing giants Hewlett-Packard Co. and Sun Microsystems Inc. will close shop during the week of Independence Day and require employees to go without pay or use up vacation time. -more-
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons recently published statistics that illustrate the dangers of ladder accidents. -more-
LOS ANGELES – The nation’s largest Roman Catholic archdiocese has hired a public relations firm to help deal with the ongoing priest abuse scandal. -more-
Church also encouraging public to report incindents of abuse to police -more-
RANCHO CORDOVA – Days after giving up her job as a stripper so her 5-year-old daughter could finish kindergarten at her Christian school, a Rancho Cordova mother pocketed an undisclosed sum to pose nude for Playboy’s Web site. -more-
Renovation will cost at least $100 million of state and federal money -more-
SACRAMENTO – Lawmakers broke an initial state budget deadlock Thursday after Senate Democrats agreed to remove $3.5 billion in tax increases from a preliminary budget plan. -more-
LOS ANGELES – The head of the nation’s largest sheriff’s department on Thursday delayed plans to release 400 jail prisoners to deal with a $100 million budget cut proposed by Los Angeles County supervisors. -more-
SACRAMENTO – The state’s energy traders and grid operators should be investigated by U.S. attorney’s office to determine if they manipulated California’s energy market, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon said Thursday. -more-
Prop 227 supporters get mandate for abolition of most bilingual education -more-
SACRAMENTO – An administrative law judge sided with Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Thursday in a dispute with the state Department of Managed Health Care that tests the authority of the 3-year-old department. -more-
SACRAMENTO – School districts will be able to build schools faster under a bill that passed the state Assembly on Thursday, raising alarm among smaller districts that larger districts will get more school construction money. -more-
On May 30, 1431, Joan of Arc, condemned as a heretic, was burned at the stake in Rouen, France. -more-
A boatload of errors and a hot Clayton Valley High pitching staff ended the Berkeley Yellowjackets’ season on Wednesday in Concord, as the Eagles scored seven runs in the final two innings to blow open a close game for a 10-1 win in a North Coast Section 3A East Bay semifinal game. -more-
Teachers and administrators in the Berkeley Unified School District’s Independent Study program are concerned about proposals to alter its administration and reduce its classroom space, but Superintendent Michele Lawrence says the issues are still unsettled. -more-
The pool of applicants for the position of principal at Berkeley High School is not strong enough to warrant moving forward with the interview process, according to a selection committee composed of staff and community members. -more-
If you’ve lived in the Bay Area for even a short time, you’ve probably encountered Pink Man. He’s hard to miss, wearing a unitard the color of Pepto-Bismol and careening through the streets on a unicycle. Sometimes he sports a fluttering cape, or flaps his arms like a giant bird. -more-
In a place with more than its share of film buffs, aspiring amateurs and famous directors, the Bay Area seems to never tire of film festivals. -more-
FREMONT — State and federal officials have joined philanthropic groups in pledging $100 million to buy 16,500 acres of salt ponds ringing San Francisco Bay, launching the largest wetlands restoration project on the West Coast. -more-
DAVIS — A two-day walkout by lecturers shut down some classes Wednesday at the University of California’s Davis campus. -more-
SACRAMENTO — The Assembly approved a bill Wednesday night that could lead to a new low-level nuclear waste site in California. -more-
LOS ANGELES – Sequels and movie adaptations — that’s what the coming year promises from the video game industry. -more-
NEW YORK – Telephone-equipment maker Nortel Networks Corp. said Wednesday it will cut another 3,500 jobs, more than expected, and may sell its optical-components business as it revamps its operations to save money. -more-
REDWOOD CITY – Communications infrastructure software company Openwave Systems Inc. has agreed to acquire SignalSoft Corp. for about $59 million, or $2.26 a share. -more-
By Jennifer L. Brown -more-
NEW DELHI, India — If Pakistan wants peace, it must act urgently to stop Islamic militants from infiltrating Indian territory to carry out terror attacks in the dispute over Kashmir, India’s foreign minister said Wednesday. -more-
HOUSTON — Two Arthur Andersen accountants testified Wednesday that they didn’t consider an instruction to comply with the firm’s document policy as an order to shred Enron-related paperwork. -more-
SANTA ROSA — Federal agents raided a medical marijuana buyers club here Wednesday and arrested two people. -more-
SACRAMENTO – Another aide to Gov. Gray Davis resigned Wednesday as the administration continued its efforts to put to rest a continuing controversy surrounding a potentially costly computer contract. -more-
LOS ANGELES – When Bob Hope was named an “honorary veteran” in 1997 by an act of Congress and President Clinton’s signature, the comedian remarked: “To be numbered among the men and women I admire most is the greatest honor I have ever received.” -more-
UC Berkeley police have arrested an employee and an off-campus accomplice for allegedly stealing $250,000 in BART tickets from a university transportation office and reselling them on the street. -more-
To the Editor: -more-
The Berkeley High baseball team has faced a lot of challenges this season, and so far the Yellowjackets have passed each with flying colors. They beat top-ranked California High and its ace, Adam Brisentine. They dealt Pinole Valley’s Kurt Koehler his first loss in three seasons. They won the ACCAL title and beat Antioch and De La Salle to reach the North Coast Section semifinals. -more-
In a neighborhood battle that pitted the small-town values of south Berkeley against the city’s needs for affordable housing, city leaders carried the housing developers to victory. -more-
To the Editor: -more-
WALNUT CREEK – The Cal baseball team had two players, junior catcher John Baker and sophomore first baseman Conor Jackson, selected to the 2002 All-Pac-10 Baseball Team, Pac-10 Commissioner Tom Hansen announced Tuesday. -more-
Berkeley Police Chief Dash Butler has endured a lot in his 31 years of service to the community— riots, numerous protests, a growing department and community and a prolific citizenry. As of July 13, Butler will retire, and the community must learn to endure without him. -more-
An early morning hiker in the Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve was shaken Tuesday when he stumbled upon a human body hanging lifeless from the branch of a tree, according to East Bay Regional Park officials. -more-
Amy Chun, who has Down syndrome, often feels isolated at Albany Middle School. -more-
OAKLAND — Jurors may have reached a partial verdict in the federal case against police and FBI agents accused of framing two Earth First! activists. -more-
SANTA BARBARA — The father of a former college student on trial for running down four people with his car testified Tuesday that he couldn’t accept repeated diagnoses that his son was mentally ill. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Employees at the CBS television complex were safely evacuated Tuesday as police negotiated with a gunman threatening suicide. -more-
OAKLAND — Defense attorneys and Alameda County prosecutors today are scheduled to begin their search for a jury that will sit in what is believed to be the largest case of alleged criminal police misconduct in Oakland's history. -more-
xSAN FRANCISCO — City utility officials approved a proposal Tuesday that could put a $3.6 billion bond measure to upgrade the aging Hetch Hetchy water system on the November ballot. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Concerned that students who lug heavy backpacks will develop spinal problems, the state Assembly approved a bill Tuesday that would force school boards to figure out ways to reduce excess backpack weight. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A preliminary budget plan that restores some health care cuts proposed by Gov. Gray Davis but still leaves lawmakers the chore of filling a $1 billion gap stalled at least briefly Tuesday in the Senate. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Despite its claims of full compliance, the governor’s office apparently didn’t completely respond to a request for information from a committee investigating a potentially costly state contract, the panel’s chairman said Tuesday. -more-
LOS ANGELES — Existing single family homes sold at a sizzling pace and at record prices in April, according to the California Association of Realtors. -more-
HOUSTON – After prosecutors spent three weeks quizzing a witness list packed with Arthur Andersen LLP employees as the government tried to prove obstruction of justice against the accounting firm, the defense has fired back with one of its own. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — Bankrupt Excite@Home will auction off the last pieces of its defunct high-speed Internet access service Wednesday, putting the finishing touches on a fire sale that has extracted about $60 million from a business valued at $28 billion three years ago. -more-
WASHINGTON — Someone killed Chandra Levy, but there’s too little evidence to say how or who might have left her body on a rugged park hillside a year ago, Washington’s medical examiner said Tuesday. -more-
HUNTSVILLE, Texas — Napoleon Beazley, whose death sentence for a murder committed at 17 stirred national debate over capital punishment for youths, was executed Tuesday after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to spare his life. -more-
WEBBERS FALLS, Okla. — Rescuers hoisted two vehicles with four bodies inside from the murky Arkansas River on Tuesday, bringing the death toll from the collapse of an interstate bridge to 13. -more-
NEW DELHI, India — India sharply criticized a speech by Pakistan’s military leader as “disappointing and dangerous” on Tuesday and asserted that al-Qaida terrorists now are in disputed Kashmir. -more-
JERUSALEM — A gunman sneaked onto the grounds of an Orthodox Jewish high school in the West Bank late Tuesday and killed three teen-agers, even as Israeli troops continued their daily raids into Palestinian towns. -more-
ROME — President Bush, in a one-on-one meeting inside the Vatican, told Pope John Paul II he is concerned about the Roman Catholic church’s standing in America where the church has been rocked by sex-abuse scandal. -more-
WASHINGTON — Libya has offered to pay $10 million per family as compensation for the deaths of 270 people in the 1988 Pan Am 103 bombing, lawyers representing the family said Tuesday. -more-
ROME — NATO declared Russia a limited partner in the Western alliance Tuesday, embracing its former Cold War enemy as an ally in the battle against modern-day threats like terrorism. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Public schools will be allowed to keep American Indian team names and mascots after the Assembly defeated a bill Tuesday that would have forced schools to give up the names. -more-
SACRAMENTO — A bill that could give state government significant new power over how and where its cities grow has cleared the Senate. -more-
SACRAMENTO — Agreeing that California’s primary election is too early to attract many voters, the Senate on Tuesday approved a bill that would move the primary for state and congressional candidates from March to August. -more-
LOS ANGELES – Police searched some of the most expensive real estate in the city Monday for a 7-year-old boy who vanished during a weekend birthday party in Westwood. -more-
PALO ALTO – While unhealthy school meals are prompting legislators around the country to consider laws making them better, some California school districts are hoping to achieve that goal by going organic. -more-
On June 29, 1776, the Virginia state constitution was adopted, and Patrick Henry made governor. -more-
A pastor and a retired airline pilot from Northern California, both experienced mountain climbers, were among the nine people who tumbled into a crevasse on Oregon’s Mount Hood on Thursday, the pastor’s wife told The Associated Press. -more-
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco's Civil Grand Jury yesterday released a detailed report on the city's response to homelessness, finding a serious lack of leadership and coordination as the problem has worsened over the years. -more-
Three of four were members of Oregon State climbing club -more-
HONOLULU — Tia Carrere, born and raised in Honolulu, says her latest role is particularly special to her — even if she’s nowhere to be seen on screen. -more-
Day-long rescue was aided by presence of doctor, firemen -more-
BALTIMORE — “The Wire” is only nominally about Baltimore detectives’ protracted investigation of a drug gang in the city’s west side housing projects — it’s also a conduit for David Simon’s exploration of the futility of the drug war and the pervasiveness of corporate culture. -more-
JACKSON, Miss. — China’s Wu Haiyan says performing with the best dancers in the world was as great an honor as the gold medal she received in USA International Ballet Competition. -more-
CAMDEN, N.J.— When Colombian singer Shakira takes the amphitheater stage in this teen-pop concert, girls in the crowd wave their hands in the air and squeal. Then they whip out their cell phones and call a friend. -more-
